All 11, 000 children were checked at ages seven, 11, 16, 23 and 33 as part of a national child development study.

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As early as age 3, children have what researchers call a "positivity bias" a tendency to see themselves as smart regardless of their abilities, and to exaggerate positive traits in others, says a 2010 study in the journal Child Development Perspectives.

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Overall responsibility for the design and implementation of the study was given to the National Institute of Child Health and Development, with input from a number of advisory and oversight committees, the Director of the NIH, and with the involvement of other government agencies (the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Environmental Protection Agency).

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Still, a study published in 2010 in the journal Child: Care, Health and Development, found that about a third of parents hadn't heard of the FDA recommendations, and of those who had, a third intended to keep using the medications.

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On the other hand, mothers who engaged in negative gatekeeping, grimacing or criticized fathers' efforts to take charge, could block out even fathers who believe they should be involved, says the study, led by Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, assistant professor, child development, at Ohio State University.

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